changeadminTaking a tough call against the incidents of stubble burning, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), under the chairpersonship of Mr Rajesh Verma, undertook field visits in Punjab to assess the ground situation related to crop residue management and enforcement activities aimed towards the reduction in stubble burning incidents.
The Commission inspected the Thermal Power Plant at Rajpura in Patiala district, the Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plant at Lehragaga in Sangrur district, the on-ground in-situ management of straw using machinery, and the Thermal Power Plant at Lehra Mohabbat in Bathinda district.
During an inspection of the Lehra Mohabbat Thermal Power Plant, the Chairperson expressed grave concern about its poor operational condition and non-compliance with prescribed emission norms and air quality standards.
The Chairperson of the CAQM cautioned that if immediate measures are not taken, the Commission may be compelled to issue closure directions to the plant. During the visit, the team witnessed stray incidents of stubble burning.
Following the visit, the Commission held a high-level review meeting with the State Government of Punjab on the 7th November 2025 at Chandigarh, to take stock of actions taken on the ground by the concerned Departments to curb incidents of stubble burning in the region.
During the review meeting, the Commission noted that between 15th September and 6th November 2025, Punjab recorded 3,284 stubble burning incidents, compared to 5,041 during the same period last year, indicating a marginal improvement.
Some districts, viz. Muktsar and Fazilka have even shown an increase in fire counts, which is a cause of concern and requires immediate intervention by the State.
The Commission observed that till September 2025 in Punjab, 4 Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) (2 TPPs of PSPCL: Lehra and Ropar; TSPL- Mansa and NPL- L&T) altogether cofired only 3.12 Lakh MT of crop residue pellets against a target of 11.83 Lakh MT for the period of 2025-26.
The Commission expressed that a lot needs to be done in Punjab to achieve the complete elimination of stubble burning. The Chairperson directed Punjab to immediately scale up efforts to comply with the Commission’s directions and run a robust IEC campaign.
It was directed to ensure the timely availability of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery to utilise paddy straw and to provide necessary support to Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plants and other industries utilising paddy straw.
Greater on-ground enforcement and accountability mechanisms were also stressed. It was also directed to take action against the nodal officers and other functionaries under whose supervision a higher number of farm fires have been recorded.
Further, taking stock of the actions taken by the State of Haryana to curb air pollution, the Commission also held a detailed review meeting with the State Government of Haryana on 7th November 2025 at Chandigarh.
It was highlighted that between 15th September and 6th November 2025, Haryana reported 206 farm fire incidents compared to 888 incidents during the same period in 2024.
The reduction is a result of a proactive, incentive-based, and enforcement-driven approach. Further, CAQM noted that financial incentives offered to farmers for in-situ and ex-situ management of crop residue have led to a major behavioural shift. The Commission underscored that with concerted efforts, the incidence of farm fires can be eliminated.
The Commission also reviewed other key air pollution sectors in Haryana, including vehicular emissions, industrial sources, construction and demolition dust, road dust, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management, etc. It directed the necessary actions to be taken to abate pollution from these sources.
The Commission reiterated the importance of enhanced coordination, targeted implementation of the Action Plans, and strict enforcement of the Statutory Directions issued by the Commission for sustainable crop residue management and for ensuring clean air in the region.
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